Aguero grabs hat-trick in Man City win

Sergio Aguero scored a hat trick as Manchester City overpowered Wigan 3-0 to register a fourth straight Premier League victory.

Aguero finished a pass from David Silva to open the scoring in the 13th minute and added two more with strikes in the 63rd and 69th as City's attacking interplay proved too much for Wigan.

Aguero has now scored five goals in two home games for City.

Despite the commanding performance, City coach Roberto Mancini said the side could still get better.

''We need to improve because we have started the season very well but the season will be long. If we want to arrive at the end of the season still at the top we need to improve,'' he said.

''We had 15 chances in the first half and we scored only one goal - this is a problem because the game can change any moment,'' Mancini added. ''Next time it's better if we close out the game in the first half.''

Carlos Tevez made his first start of the season alongside Aguero up front, hours after City coach Roberto Mancini confirmed he had stripped the Argentine striker of the club captaincy.

Tevez had a hand in Aguero's goal and then missed a 19th-minute penalty before being replaced by Samir Nasri after an hour.

David Silva was the architect behind most of City's attacks and it was a run into the box by the Spanish winger that created the first goal for Aguero.

Tevez scampered down the left and found Silva, whose unselfish pass allowed Aguero to shoot through Maynor Figueroa's legs and into the bottom left corner.

Tevez wasted a chance to put his team two goals up when Silva was fouled by Wigan defender Adrian Lopez in the box, with Al Habsi saving the weak spot kick.

''Carlos is not 100 percent at the moment but I am happy for him because for me he played very well with Sergio, he missed a penalty but this can happen - usually he scores,'' Mancini said. ''It was important for him to start, to play and to play well and maybe in two or three games he will be 100 percent.''

Aguero continued to impress, bending a shot from the left just past the top corner, before England winger Adam Johnson blasted a 25-yard shot over the bar.

Micah Richards hit the underside of the crossbar following a throughball from Tevez and Aguero's effort went just wide shortly after as City threatened to overwhelm Wigan, while City defender Joleon Lescott hit the upright with a header.

Just before halftime, City goalkeeper Joe Hart was called into action to make a one-on-one block on Di Santo after a deflected shot landed at the Wigan striker's feet.

Hart blocked Hugo Rodallega's effort just after the break, but Nasri finally unlocked the Wigan defense, nudging a backheel from Silva into Aguero's path to curl a shot low into the corner.

Aguero's hat trick arrived in the 69th minute, courtesy of more outstanding play from Silva who spun off his markers and delivered a defense-splitting throughball for the Argentina striker to roll past Al Habsi.

With the game wrapped up, Mancini sent on Mario Balotelli for Aguero, who departed to a standing ovation.

Johnson should have made it 4-0 but shot too close to the keeper, and then curled wide when handed another chance.

Wigan coach Roberto Martinez was disappointed with his team's performance.

''We showed them too much respect,'' he said. ''We played the occasion too much, we played their squad, when we only had to focus on the 11 players in front of us. We could have hurt Man City a lot more.''